The American Red Cross provides nearly half the nation's blood supply. They come to the rescue during emergencies and natural disasters, and now they're using social media to communicate with the public.
On Thursday, the American Red Cross Cape Fear Chapter launched an interactive website that incorporates social-networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and blogs, to reach our community on a daily basis, and most importantly in times of need.
During natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, volunteers from the American Red Cross are there to help. If there's a local emergency, people will need to know what to do. That's why the Cape Fear chapter started arccapefearconnect.com.
"What we know about today's younger folks is they're looking for more interactive information. Leave information, take information, get information,” said Sheri Frost.
Interaction is what the site is all about. It allows access to critical emergency information posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, Youtube and more, all in one place.
Videos also explain how to prepare for disasters and train to be CPR certified.
"It's interactive in the sense that you can take information away from it but you can also leave information through the blogs, through Facebook, through Twitter, which all merges into one site,” Frost said.
Social media consultant Tim Moore created the website. "It's free information, and it's all through social channels. So they can sign up for what they want, when they want it, how they want it, and that's exactly how people digest information today."
The Cape Fear chapter is also trying to recruit 100 volunteers in 100 days. They're hoping the site sparks some interest.
"We want them to become volunteers but as much as we want them to become volunteers we want them to understand what our programs are and how they can get safety training, what they need to do if there's been a house fire at home, where do they have to evacuate with a hurricane all of those things we are putting out through this website,” Frost said.
The American Red Cross received a $6,000 grant from Wal-Mart, to make the website possible.

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